From the Usual USAF Source...
There was a time when the only possible occasion you'd see these two types... from these two countries... together would be a in a big-ass fur-ball. How times change.
If you look closely at the embiggened image you'll note the F-16 in the foreground is named "The City of Tuskegee." I did a lil lookin' around in The Wiki to see if I could find out the modern significance of the historic Red Tail color scheme and it turns out that it's a commemorative paint job adopted by the Alabama ANG's 100th Fighter Squadron in honor of the Tuskegee Airmen. The 100th has an interesting history, which you can read here.
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| Air Frame: F-16s from the Alabama Air National Guard's 187th Fighter Wing fly in formation with two Romanian air force Mig-21s during the recent Dacian Viper exercise near Campia Turzii Air Base in northwestern Romania. (Air Force photo posted at Lockheed Martin's Code One website on Oct. 11, 2012) (Click on image above to reach larger version.) |
If you look closely at the embiggened image you'll note the F-16 in the foreground is named "The City of Tuskegee." I did a lil lookin' around in The Wiki to see if I could find out the modern significance of the historic Red Tail color scheme and it turns out that it's a commemorative paint job adopted by the Alabama ANG's 100th Fighter Squadron in honor of the Tuskegee Airmen. The 100th has an interesting history, which you can read here.
Seems like the countries of Eastern Europe are about the only friends we have anymore...
ReplyDeleteYou can thank Barry for that.
DeleteLove to see the Fighters wearing bright colors. Let's the enemy know where the fight's gonna be!
ReplyDeleteAnd they're pretty, too!
DeleteThe WW II "Red Tails" record of never having lost any of the bombers they were escorting to opposing enemy aircraft is nothing less than remarkable. Critics have pointed out that their area of operations in the Balkans was a "secondary" war theater where the aircrews were not as highly trained or numerous and comprised of many even less well-trained and/or experienced non-German pilots as well. Very true, but take it from me, I don't care if those pilots were all Nuns from The Little Sisters of the Poor, the odds against at least ONE sneaking in for a kill sometime in the confusion that is an on-going "fur-ball" in the course of the whole damn war and the many missions flown are astronomical! GOT to give those guys all the credit in the world for skill and organizational flight discipline.
ReplyDeleteYou're oh-so-right here, Virg.
DeleteThe Balkins were where all the fuel was, so B-25's and B-24's did most of the duty.
DeleteGreat pic. And ditto to Inno and your reply.
ReplyDelete